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University Of Winnipeg Grads In Master’s Program Will Also Receive Cando Certification

Jennifer Ledoux

Vanessa Tait

Completing a certain Master’s program at the University of Winnipeg will have even more significance now. Those that now graduate from the Master’s in Development Practice: Indigenous Development program will also have met all the requirements to be awarded the Technician Aboriginal Economic Developer (TAED) certificate through Cando.

Cando is the national Indigenous organization that promotes economic development.

The five-year accreditation agreement between the University of Winnipeg and Cando was announced at the Cando Conference staged in Fredericton in late October. The agreement will be reviewed, and possibly renewed in 2022, upon the completion of the current five-year term.

Kandice Charlie

Scholarship from the National Indigenous Economic Education Fund is a “huge relief” for Kandice Charlie's family

A $2,000 scholarship from the National Indigenous Economic Education Fund is a “huge relief” for her family, says recipient Kandice Charlie.

“My husband falling sick for a while, it was all falling on me to financially support us,” said Charlie. “It’s not like we have an extra $1,000 for winter tires and we need to keep our family safe and we live remotely on a reserve. So anything like that is something I don’t have to worry about or stress out about.”

Charlie, registered to the Xaxl’ip community of the St’at’imc Nation, lives in Sts’ailes with her husband and two children. She has spent the past 10 years working with Sts’ailes leaders and community champions on a variety of projects and community initiatives, which has provided her with a hands-on approach to looking at self-determination and economic viability and sustainability.

It was with this experience in mind that Charlie decided to pursue an Executive Master of Business Administration program in Aboriginal Business and Leadership.

Sheila Peter-Paul

Sheila Peter-Paul is “honoured” to be one of three recipients of the National Indigenous Economic Education Fund scholarship

“Being awarded the NIEEF scholarship gives me reassurance that I am capable of achieving my goals and passions,” she said. “Being a successful applicant motivates me to work to the best of my ability.”

Having an eight-year-old daughter to care for, the money will also help relieve some of the financial burden.

After working for 11 years in social development for her band, Eel River Bar First Nation, in New Brunswick, Peter-Paul discovered her “love for numbers” and decided to take a leave of absence in order to pursue training in accounting.

“It took a lot of courage for me to do such a thing, but going back to school has proven that if you have a love for something, you cannot let fear of the unknown stand in your way. I am ecstatic to be a mature student and I have grown in so many ways,” she said.

“This ongoing support really affirms why I’m here pursuing an education. I really want to learn as much as I can and give back to my community,” said Quinn Meawasige, who received his second consecutive National Indigenous Economic Education Foundation scholarship.

Getting the $2,000 NIEEF scholarship, along with being recognized with the Great Lakes Honda Community Driven Award and the Presidential Student Appreciation Award, all encourage Meawasige to continue his hard work as he enters his third year in his four-year honours degree in community economic and social development at Algoma University, in Sault Ste-Marie.

Meawasige came late to formal education and because of that wasn’t prioritized for funding from his First Nation of Serpent River. Without that band funding, he’s had to cobble together his own sources of revenue to make his education happen and he says the NIEEF scholarship “was a breath of fresh air.”

Meawasige has received glowing commendations from his teachers.

“Both in and out of class, I have observed Quinn develop and demonstrate extraordinary qualities that will serve him well in life, and as a future First Nations economic officer, community development officer, and political leader,” said Prof. Derek Rice.

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Taking some specialty courses during his post-secondary education has paid off handsomely for Stanley Barnaby. The 28-year-old, who is from Quebec’s Listuguj Mi’gmaq First Nation, attended the University of New Brunswick, earning his Bachelor of Business Administration degree.

While at UNB, Barnaby also took the necessary courses to obtain his First Nations Business Administration Certificate. By fulfilling the requirements for this certificate Barnaby met the criteria to obtain his Technician Aboriginal Economic Developer (TAED) certificate through Cando, the national Indigenous organization which promotes economic development. Barnaby credits his Cando certification with helping him land some of the jobs he has held.

“It certainly helped me with some of the employment I’ve had in my career,” he said. “It being on my resume really helped.”

Nick Paul has made some major life-altering decisions in the past. But the 39-year-old Maliseet, from New Brunswick’s Tobique First Nation, is rather content with his current job, thanks in large part to the Cando certification he earned.

For the past decade Paul has been working for Peace Hills Trust, the First Nation banking institute. He’s the assistant manager of credit at Saskatchewan’s Fort Qu’Appelle regional office.

“I don’t know what the future holds but I know Peace Hills Trust is a top-notch employer,” Paul said.

Though he was already working for the company at the time, Paul decided to complete the requirements and earn his Technician Aboriginal Economic Developer (TAED) certificate through Cando, the national Indigenous organization that promotes economic development. He was awarded his certificate in May of 2010.

Inter-tribal Trade Opportunities:

The potential for inter-tribal trade between First Nations in Canada and Tribes in the United States “is absolutely huge,” says business consultant Keith Matthew, who also serves as president of Cando.But realizing that potential will not be easy as First Nations need to overcome the trade barriers that are in place between Canada and the U.S.

“We’re unfortunately at the whim of both of those governments,” said Matthew.

With the Canadian dollar still weaker than U.S. currency, exporting product to the U.S. is a golden opportunity that First Nations need to take advantage of. But, Matthew admits, First Nations need to get “export ready,” which means obtaining export licenses, figuring out the logistics of getting product to U.S. markets, and understanding how foreign-trade zones, in places like the Citizen Potawatomi Nation in Oklahoma, work.

Ray Wanuch, executive director of Cando, doesn’t mince words when he talks about inter-tribal trade.“The end goal is huge,” he said. “Free-trade zones create jobs, gets us into the economy. I think it’s part and parcel of Indigenous people producing their share of the gross domestic product.”

FTZs would be custom free with no duties and allow the exchange of goods between Canada and the United States.